Is Cornyn now ‘on Cruz control’ or is he just plain conservative?

In Washington, John Cornyn has long been considered one of the most conservative members of the U.S. Senate.

Then came Ted Cruz.

In his first month in office, Texas’ junior senator has entered the national stage with the subtlety of an elephant at a ballet. A few liberal commentators have compared Cruz, with his prosecutorial style and his relentless attacks on President Obama and Defense Secretary nominee Chuck Hagel, to Joe McCarthy, Huey Long, Father Coughlin and other right-wing demagogues of the 20th century.

Where does this leave Cornyn, whose voting record is almost identical to Cruz but whose demeanor is far more mellow?

John Cornyn (Associated Press/Eric Gay)

“Democrats snicker that he’s now stuck on ‘Cruz Control,’ following the lead of his junior partner on issues ranging from the confirmation of Secretary of State John Kerry (they comprised two of the three ‘no’ votes) to the re-authorization of the Violence Against Women Act (which garnered 78 ‘yes’ votes),” Politico’s Jonathan Martin wrote on Friday.

Martin reports, without any sourcing, the buzz at the Texas Capitol: “The wise-guy joke going around Austin: Cruz is the only freshman in Congress with two votes.”

To cap off the Politico riff, Rep. Joaquin Castro, a freshman Democrat from San Antonio who, like Cruz, has started with a bang, told Politico: “Cruz is essentially now able to determine Cornyn’s dance steps.”

But is Cornyn following Cruz’s lead or are the two just dancing to a conservative waltz choreographed long ago by the senior senator who dubbed himself “Big Bad John” in his 2008 re-election race.

Cruz’s press secretary says Cornyn and Cruz are good friends, and that Cruz is honored to work alongside the “principled leader.”

When you look at Cornyn’s political history, the similarities should come as no surprise. In 2010, Cornyn was tied for first on the National Journal’s list of most conservative members of Congress. Cornyn was rated as voting 94 percent conservative throughout his career by American Conservative Union.

“Sen. Cornyn has relentlessly fought for a conservative agenda – first in Austin, and now in Washington. Like many Texans, Sen. Cornyn is proud to have Ted Cruz in the Senate and looks forward to working together on behalf of 26 million Texans,” Cornyn press secretary Drew Brandewie said.

However, Cornyn is likely keeping an eye on his right flank. According to CQ Roll Call, Cornyn said he expects to face a primary challenge in 2014.

As hard as it is to imagine, that challenge would likely come … from the right.